The present invention is directed to an article of footwear.
A style of footwear of increasing popularity is the thong-type sandal, formerly known in some areas of the United States as a flip-flop. Decades ago, this style of footwear was largely found in the home or on the beach. In its conventional form, the thong slipper had a sole made of a foam type material and a wishbone-shaped upper made of a rubbery synthetic resin material. The sole was planar and provided with three apertures receiving the three free ends of the upper. Typically, the free ends of the upper were formed with heads seated in enlarged portions of the sole apertures, at the bottom surface of the sole.
The current wave of popularity of the thong-type sandal is fueled principally because of stylistic modifications, such as the addition of a high heel, the provision of an outsole and an insole, and materials such as vinyl-coated thermoplastic resin for the insole and even the upper.
The thong-type sandal is therefore in the process of being refashioned from mere beachwear to a more general-purpose shoe.